Fitting for containers



Sheet of 3 March 25, 1969 H, MARCEL FITTING FOR CONTAINERS Filed June28, 1967 riff ./////1/// March 25, 1969 H. MARCEL 3,434,537

l FITTING FOR CONTAINERS Filed June 28, 1967 sheet 2 of s March 2K5,1969 H, MARCEL FITTING FOR CONTAINERS sheet e nfs Filed June 28, 1967United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 222-570 19 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a container provided with apouring spout made in one piece of synthetic plastic material and asealing and capping closure. The pourmg spout comprises two concentricsleeves connected by a wall, the latter being provided with an airinlet. The inner sleeve, preferably bias cut to form a lip, projectsbeyond the outer one. The closure comprises askirt attached to thecontainer and a cap for closing the spout, connected together by atearable band. The latter is limited by lines of perforations formed bygrooves extending from the edges of this band. Ribs prevent relativemotion of the closure when snapped over the container neck.

The present invention relates to a container such as a bottle, flask,etc., in which a pouring spout made of synthetic plastic materialcomprises an outer tubular sleeve intended to be pressed into the neckof the sa1d container and an inner sleeve or outlet of smaller diameter,the inner sleeve being connected to the outer sleeve by a wall providedwith at least an air inlet connecting the space comprised between thetwo sleeves with the interior of the container, the end of the saidinner sleeve or hp projecting beyond the edge of said outer sleeve.

Preferably, it comprises also a closure provided with a skirt attachedto the neck of the container and a cap to protect the said spout.

The invention provides thereby a container with a pouring spout and aclosure providing at the same time sealing means for the container andclosing means for the s out.

pThe pouring spout according to the invention is particularly useful,providing a perfectly regular iiow of the liquid out of the containerfor every possible rate of llow down to the smallest drip and on theother hand, it takes in the last drop of the liquid which has beenpoured out, which generally tends to soil the outer wall of thecontainer in particular when this liquid is relatively viscous. Thanks tthe above described arrangement, the last drop ows necessarily in thespace comprised between the said two sleeves and returns finally intothe container through the air inlet,

Other particular advantages of the invention will become clear in thefollowing description. Certain speciiic embodiments of the inventionwill be described by way of example with reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which: i

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal axial section of a pouring spout.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the spout shown in FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal axial section of the neck of a container withthe spout shown in FIG. l and sealed with a closure.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal axial section similar to FIG. 3 showing how theliquid flows out of the inclined container.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal axial `section of a second type of spout andclosure.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal axial section along the line 6 6 of the FIG. 7of a third type of spout.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the spout shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a transversal section along the line 8-8 of FIG. 6.

'31,434,637 Patented Mar. 25, 1969 ICC FIG. 9 is a longitudinal axialsection along line 9-9 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is an elevation with a partial section of a neck of a containeraccording tothe invention..

FIG. 1l is a longitudinal axial section of a spout and closure attachedto the neck shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a plan View of the spout, closure and neck shown in FIG. 11with a partial section along line 12-12 of FIG. 1l.

The pouring spout illustrated in FIGS. l and 2, according to theinvention, is made of synthetic plastic material such as polyethylenefor example. It comprises essentially an outer tubular sleeve 1connected at its base to a skirt 2 intended to be pressed into the neckof a bottle for eX- ample. The outer wall of the said skirt may beprovided with one or more sealing beads and with a rim 3 abuttingagainst the end surface of the neck of the bottle. At the other end, thesaid skirt is provided with an extension 4 of smaller diameter forcentering the pouring spout and a frust0-conical portion to facilitatethe introduction of the spout into the neck.

An inner sleeve 5, of smaller diameter,I concentric with the outer one,is connected to the latter at the height 0f the rim 3 yby a wall 6perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve Il.

The inner sleeve 5, providing the outlet of the pouring spout, is biascut to form a lip 7 the end of which projects beyond the edge of thesleeve 1. An opening 8 in the wall 6, diametrically opposite the lip 7,provides an air inlet open towards the interior of the container whenthe liquid iiows out of the latter (FIG. 4).

Each time liquid is poured out of the bottle, one or more dropsremaining on the lip, particularly when the liquid is viscous like oilor syrup for example, fall in the space between the sleeves 1 and 5 orrun along the outer wall of the latter sleeve down to the bottom of thesaid space. Thereby, any ow of liquid on the neck and outer wall ofthecontainer is prevented.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the container is madeof synthetic plastic material and in one piece with the pouring spout byblow-moulding or by other methods. In this case, the skirt 2 isdispensed with, the sleeve 1 being an extension of the neck of thecontainer.

FIG. 3 shows the above described pouring spout on the neck 1li of abottle. The latter is also provided with a closure made of syntheticplastic material such as polyethylene for example acting at the sametime as a seal for the container and a stopper for the spout.

This closure comprises a skirt 11 and a cap 12, the two being connectedby a tearable guarantee band 13. The skirt 11 is stretched over the neck1l) and remains attached to it by a bead which snaps into acorresponding circular groove provided in the end portion of the saidneck. The said skirt 11 is also provided at its upper end with a step 15which covers partially at least the rim 3 of the pouring spout and helpsto keep it xed to the neck of the container.

The cap l2 covers the outlet of the pouring spout and its wall isengaged around the outer surface of the sleeve ll. To close thecontainer, the said cap wall is provided with at least one sealing bead16. Alternatively, a bead can be provided on the sleeve 1.

Both edges of the guarantee band 13 connecting the skirt 11 and the cap12 are dened by lines of perforations provided by a series of grooves 17opening into an `annular hollow space concentric with a step 18 and asimilar series of grooves 19 coinciding with the step 2li. The said bandis interrupted at its periphery by a slot (not shown) and one of itsends is provided with a pull tab 21.

The above described closure provides tampenproof closing means for thecontainer and sealing means for its contents. After the said band hasbeen torn off, the skirt 11 remains attached to the neck of the bottlefor example whereas the cap 12 provides removable closing means forclosing the outlet and protecting the lip (FIG. 4).

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the neck is provided with apouring spout and a closure comprising a skirt 22 connected to a cap 23by a tearable guarantee band 24. Besides its peripheral wall, the cap 23is provided with a concentric tubular sleeve 25, the inner wall of whichis engaged around the sleeve 1. The edge of the latter abuts against astep 26 provided inside the said sleeve to provide a water-tightclosure.

In the FIGS. 6 to 9 is illustrated a further embodiment of theinvention, comprising a tubular sleeve 31, a skirt 32 with a rim 33 andan extension 34, and a sleeve 35. The latter is connected to the sleeve31 by a wall 36 of frustoconical shape, which improves the rigidity ofthe whole. The end of the outlet is also bias cut and projects slightlyto form a lip 37.

In this embodiment, the air inlet is provided by a channel 38 opening atone of its ends into the space comprised between the sleeves 31 and 35and placed diametrically opposite the lip 37. At the other end, thechannel extends approximately down to the base of the sleeve 31 (FIG. 9

The FIG. l0 illustrates the neck 40 of a container, for example a flask,according to a particular embodiment of the invention. This neckcomprises a terminal bead 41 limiting an annular groove 42. The saidneck also comprises ribs 43 protruding from the bottom of the saidgroove 42 and placed at regular intervals on the periphery ot the neck.

The FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate the above described container with apouring spout as illustrated in FIG. 6. Moreover, the outer surface ofthe resilient skirt 32 and of the sleeve 31 are provided each with twoannular sealing beads 32.2L and 31al respectively and the rim 33 ischamfered at 33a.

The closure comprises a skirt 51 and a cap 52, these two elements beingconnected by a tearable guarantee band 53. The inner wall of the skirt51 is provided with an annular bead 54 and longitudinal ribs 55,preferably the same number as the ribs 43, extending downwards from thesaid bead 54. The lower end 55L of the ribs 55 is biased to formtogether a conical abutment.

The guarantee band 53 is limited at its lower edge by a line ofperforations provided by a series of ribs 56 protruding on the innersurface of the skirt and leaving between them grooves 57 opening into anannular hollow space concentric to a step 58. The lower edge of the saidband 53 and the skirt are therefore connected by the small bridgesformed by the bases of the ribs S6. The upper edge of the said band andthe cap are connected similarly by the small bridges formed by the basesof the ribs 59 between the grooves 60 opening into an annular hollowspace concentric to the step 61. The band `53 is interrupted at itsperiphery by as lot (not shown) and one of its ends is extended upwardsby a pull tab 62.

Besides its peripheral wall, the cap 52 is provided with a tubularsleeve of smaller diameter concentric with the said wall. This sleevehas a base 63 with an annular extension 64 engaged around the outersurface of the sleeve 31, the edge of the latter abuting against thetapered surface of an annular groove 65 provided in the said base 63.The sealing of the closure is therefore provided by the contact of thebeads 31a on the edge of the extension 64 as Well as by the contact ofthe sleeve 31 and the base 63.

To close the ilask, the pouring spout is first placed into the closureand both are pressed into the neck 10. The resilient skirt 51 stretchesover the terminal bead 4l and the bead 54 snaps into the groove 42. Thebias of the faces 55a facilitates placing the said closure onto theflask,

4 the ribs S5 being placed between the ribs 43. When the closure isplaced, the edges of the ribs 56 abut against the chamfer 33a of the rim33 and help to fix the pouring spout.

Before some liquid is poured out of the ask, the band 53 ensuring thatthe contents have not been touched must be torn off by breaking thesmall bridges 56 and 59. This tends to turn the closure on the neck butthe ribs 55 abutting against the ribs 43 prevent any further motionofthe closure relatively to the neck.

After the guarantee band has been torn off, the cap 52 providesremovable closing means for closing the container. Preferably the saidcap comprises resilient holding means, 'for example an annular beadssnapping into a groove or any other suitable means making use of theelasticity of the walls to prevent the removal ofthe pour ing spout.

The foregoing embodiments have been given only as illustrations of theinvention and should not be construed as limiting.

I claim:

1. A fitting for containers comprising a unitary pouring spout made of asynthetic plastic material having an outer tubular sleeve, saidcontainer having a neck into which said outer sleeve is adapted to bepressed; an inner sleeve disposed within said outer sleeve and spacedtherefrom, the outer end of said inner sleeve being formed with a lipprojecting longitudinally beyond the outer end of said outer sleeve; anda wall extending between said sleeves, said wall being spaced from theouter ends of said sleeves and being formed with at least one air inletconnecting the space defined by said sleeves with the interior of saidcontainer.

2. A fitting for containers comprising a unitary pouring spout having anouter tubular sleeve, an inner sleeve disposed within said outer sleeveand spaced therefrom, the outer end of said inner sleeve dening a lipprojecting longitudinally beyond the outer end of said outer sleeve, awall extending between said sleeves and spaced from the outer endthereof, said Wall being formed with at least one air inlet therethroughconnecting the space defined by said sleeves with the interior of thecontainer; and an upturned skirt secured at its base to the inner end ofsaid outer sleeve, said container having a neck into which said skirt isadapted to be pressed.

3. A container according to claim 1, including a closure having a skirtformed with a bead extending from the inner surface thereof and a capclosing said pouring spout, said container neck being formed with aterminal bead, said closure skirt bead 4being adapted to snap under saidneck terminal bead to attach said skirt to said neck.

4. A container according to claim 1, including a closure having a skirtformed with a bead on the inside surface thereof, and a cap closing saidpouring spout, said container neck being formed with an annular groovein the outside surface thereof, said closure skirt bead being adapted tosnap into said annular groove to secure said skirt to said neck.

5. Container according to claim 1, in which said air inlet isdiametrically opposite said inner sleeve lip.

6. Container according to claim 2, in which said upturned skirt isprovided at its base with a centering extension of smaller diameter.

7. Container according to claim 2, in which the said upturned skirtincludes a rim adapted to abut against the upper end surface of the saidneck.

8. Container according to claim 2, including at least one Sealing beadon the outer wall of said upturned skirt.

9. Container according to claim 1, in which said sleeves are cylindricaland concentric, said wall being perpendicular to the longitudinal axisof the said sleeves.

10. Container according to claim 1, including a closure having a skirtattached to the neck of said container, a cap closing said pouringspout, and a guarantee band removably secured to and connecting saidclosure skirt and cap.

11. A container according to claim 7, including a closure having a skirtattached to the neck of said container and a cap closing said pouringspout, said closure skirt having an upper portion disposed to at leastpartially cover said rim of said pouring spout skirt.

12. A container according to claim 1, including a closure having a skirtattached to the neck of said container and a cap closing said pouringspout, said cap having a wall engaging around the outer sleeve of saidpouring spout.

13. A container according to claim 7, including a closure having a skirtattached to the neck of said container, a cap closing said pouringspout, and a guaranty band removably secured to and connecting saidclosure skirt and cap, said closure having a series of longitudinalgrooves extending from iboth edges of said guaranty band and openinginto an annular hollow space concentric with a step dening each edge 0fsaid band, each groove being aligned with the plane of the respectivestep and dened by a plurality of spaced ribs extending between saidguaranty band and said cap and skirt respectively so as to form a seriesof perforations weakening the areas connecting said band to said cap andskirt, said rim of said pouring spout skirt being chamfered, the ribsdelining one of said grooves forming together a conical abutment againstsaid chamfered rim.

14. A container according to claim 1, including a closure having a skirtattached to the neck of said container, and a cap closing said pouringspout, the terminal portion of said neck being provided with at leastone rib, said skirt being formed with at least one rib on the innersurface thereof adapted to cooperate with said neck rib to prevent anyrelative angular motion of said closure.

15. A container according to claim 14, in which said container neck isformed with an annular groove, said neck rib protruding from the bottomthereof, said closure skirt rib being adapted to snap into said neckgroove to secure said skirt to said neck.

16. Container according to claim 12, in which said cap includesresilient means holding the same on an element of the pouring spout.

17. Container according to claim 12, in which the inner surface of saidcap wall or the outer surface of said pouring spout outer sleeve isprovided with at least one annular sealing bead.

1S. Container according to claim 17, in which said cap includes anannular surface abutting against the outer end of said outer sleeve.

19. Container according to claim 10, in which said closure includes aseries of longitudinal grooves extending from both edges of saidguarantee band and opening into an annular hollow space concentric witha step defining each edge of said band, each groove being aligned withthe plane of the respective step so as to form a series of perforationsweakening the areas connecting said band to said cap and skirt.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,763,402 9/1956 Livingstone222-570 X 2,763,403 9/ 1956 Livingstone 222-570 X 3,208,650 9/ 1965 LaHam 222-570 X 3,227,317 1/ 1966 Bereziat et al 222-570 X 3,307,752 3/1967 Anderson 222-570 X STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner.

